Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-10-26
AN & \ IS i 10 HON b.
The Cost of q Oonaressman'sSt Stay
"a Washina



The Washington correspondent Of the
Kansas City 7yasss metal Willard's d new
N-fedged Congressman from one Of the
Northwestern States, who had peregrinated
to the National capital to obtain quarters
for himself and family and, at the same
time, brush up things q bit at the several
depar ents, and making acquaintance
with the various officials. He had been.
roaming al over the city armed with o
formida BILE list Of houses to rent, furnished.
and unfurnished, but. after several ilays'.
experience, found himself as far of from
acoompl fishing the Immediate pose Of his
visit.as when he first started .sont on this
errand. He was by NO means in a happy
frame Of mind, and unburdened himself
freely regarding his disappointment.
Here am,n CIRCULATED the Congressional
tyro, s.sorely perplexed. Ihave
: a lucrativelaw practice and comfortable
home in exchange for I'M asrtain Congress-
ional honors and no end of hard work for the
pitiful salary, in Washington at least, of
5000 q year. have a large family from
whom separation for six or eight months
would be intolerable. am indisposed to;
crowd them in the Wretched quarters of the
average boarding house, and my salary
. does not permit me to place them at re-
spectacle hotel. I can procure the neces-
sary hotel accommodation at $3.50 per
month but that would leave me only SIG per
month wherewithj to meet the expenses of
laundry. clothes, car-fares and other ip-
cadentals, SO that at the end of the month
we would be financially strapped and
possibly in debt. "
"Here is q list of eGgibly situated fur
aished houses for which rent is asked all
the way from $50 to $1,000 q, month. Sup
pose took the cheapest, I could not mar
ket and run. the house in addition to rent
for less than 5000 per- month, living decent-
~ and returning hospitality, and that OUT
lay would leave us comparatively penniless.
do not see how Congressman having fam
lies get along on their salaries at Washing
ton prices, unless they live abjectly in
rooms OF course those who take no fami-
" with them can make two ends meet, but
then they must keep up two establish
ments, one here and the other at home and
in the latter event must separate from wife,
and children. This is not the lifeI desire
to lead, and I can not imagine how Con-
gressmen of limited means manage, if they
pay their bills, to support themselves and
families on their salaries, taking into con-
sideration the almost endless expenses to
which they are subjected at Washington.
Possibly some body can let mo into the Sc
cret and initiate me into the mysteries"
There is no doubt that the large influx of
wealthy people, who have recently adopted
washington as winter headquarters,
erected handsome mansions, and plunged
headlong into society designations of the
most extravagant character, has had the
effect of increasing the expenses Of ordi-
nary domicile at the National capital A
reasonably respectable house rents all the
way from $500 to :, 800 per year, unfurn-
nished, and houses in the fashionable quar-
ter rent freely at higher rates. Marketing
here is not more expensive than the aver
age Of the other cities, and yet is higher
than at Baltimore and Philadelphia. Strange
to relate, house rents at Baltimore are
vastly cheaper than at Washington, and for
s40 or $50 per month, a better and more COM
pletely appoints residence can be readily
ren.:d in Baltimore than twice that amount
would obtain in Washington. In fact, pala-
tial mdnsions can be had in Baltimore, in ex-
celent neighborhoods, for less than 5000 per
annum. ,$t.3 ! -
The only disadvantage which operates
against Baltimore as being utilized as the
residence adjunct Of Washington is the dis
lance Of forty miles, Or eighty miles, daily
travel going and coming. And yet it would
pay n4tlonly Congressman, but department
emploEls to reside in that city, the draw
back Thing the fatigue Of travelling more
than NE time consumed Or the additional
expen$yof railroad fare. Counting cheap
house rent and marketing, and otfsetting
by railroad fares and time consumed, there
Is, nevertheless, good margin in favoriof
Baltimore. On these accounts, members of
Congress who are not disposed to devote7an
their time to society indulgences can live on
their salaries and save something by domi-
Cling at Baltimore, but as a rule they pre-
fer to Ego broke'' at Washington. 49, !
An ex-member of Congress, who had
barely sufficient money left to pay railroad
fare home, after the close Of the late Con-
gress, narrating his experience in living in
furnished house, gave the following ac-
count of how he had made big mistake: II
rented a sparsely- furnished house at 81 900
per year, from October 1, 1885, to April 1,
1887, nineteen months, atsS3.33 per month,
total of 81 ,5S3.27. The house unfurnished
was not worth more than $50 per month;
in fact I could have rented better one for
70 on Capital Hill, but that neighborhood
was not fashionable enough for my family.
But at $50 per month, the nineteen months,
rent would be 1850, and, therefore, I paid
t6Sa8 rent on the old, rickety furniture and
badly-worn carpets.
II was obliged to purchase tableware and
linen and likewise bought several articles Of
furniture wherewith to make the house de-
cent Now, would have bought more and
better furniture than was In that house for
less than the amount / paid for its nineteen
mr. fhn1,, or,f lot ho a,,1 If